Determining streaming content user consumption

Abstract

Confidence of attentiveness of a consumer of a media object on a media playback device is estimated by monitoring for a user action performed on a mobile computing device while the media objects are being played back; responsive to a user action, retrieving descriptors for the media object; computing a relevance of the detected user action and the descriptors using correlation; if sufficiently correlated, determining a degree of confidence that the user is attentive to the media object; and recording the one user action, the media object descriptors, and the degree of confidence into digital results for reporting and usage by other devices and processes to improve viewership, readership, and listenership measurements.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 without relying upon a current location of a mobile computing device, responsive to detecting a user action on the mobile computing device, retrieving, by a computer, from a streaming server or broadcast server one or more media descriptors for one or more media objects currently or recently streamed or broadcast to the user of the mobile computing device, wherein the user action is not associated with a user media receiver of the mobile computing device; 
 computing, by a computer, a relevance of the detected user action and the retrieved media descriptors using one or more correlation processes; 
 responsive to the relevance meeting a first threshold, determining, by a computer, a degree of confidence that the user is attentive to at least one of the one or more media objects without requiring monitoring of the user media receiver; and 
 recording, by a computer, the at least one user action, the one or more media object descriptors, and the degree of confidence that the user is attentive to at least one of the one or more media objects into one or more digital results selected from the group consisting of a computer-readable report, a human-readable report, a database entry, a parameter for an application programming interface, and a transmitted message to a client process, and a transmitted message to a client device. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 repeating, by a computer, the steps of retrieving and computing for a plurality of users; and 
 wherein the determining of the degree of confidence comprises determining, by a computer, a degree of confidence that the plurality of users are attentive to at least one or more media objects. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the determining of the degree of confidence further comprises:
 determining, by a computer, a physical proximity of the media playback device and the mobile computing device; 
 responsive to the physical proximity being less than a second threshold, increasing, by a computer, the degree of confidence; and 
 responsive to the physical proximity being more than the second threshold, decreasing, by a computer, the degree of confidence. 
 
     
     
       4. The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the determining of physical proximity comprises employing, by a computer, in a proximity calculation by a computer one or more location indicators selected from the group consisting of a Global Positioning System output, a computer network address, and a low-energy wireless beacon status indicator. 
     
     
       5. The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the detected user action which is not associated with the user media receiver comprises one or more user actions which are not associated with the user media receiver selected from the group consisting of launching a local application program other than the media receiver on the mobile computing device, submitting search criteria to search engine website, submitting search criteria to search engine via a search engine application program, creating a new event in a locally-stored electronic calendar, accepting a new event in a locally-stored electronic calendar, creating a new event in a remotely-stored electronic calendar, accepting a new event in a remotely-stored electronic calendar, authoring an electronic message, reading an electronic message, forwarding an electronic message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, replying to an electronic message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, initiating a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, receiving a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, joining a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, forwarding a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, responding to a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, creating a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, responding to a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, reposting a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, setting a reaction indication to a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, deleting a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, casting an electronic vote in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver, visiting a website unrelated to the user media receiver, visiting Uniform Resource Locator (URL) unrelated to the user media receiver, selecting a hyperlink unrelated to the user media receiver, and initiating a telephone call unrelated to the user media receiver. 
     
     
       6. The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the media object comprises at least one media object selected from the group consisting of a streaming video object, a streaming audio object, an online presentation, a broadcast television program, an electronic advertisement, and a broadcast audio program. 
     
     
       7. A computer program product comprising:
 a tangible, computer-readable memory device which is not a propagating signal per se, accessible by a processor; 
 program instructions embodied by the memory device to cause the processor to, when executed, perform steps comprising:
 without relying upon a current location of a mobile computing device, responsive to detecting a user action on the mobile computing device, retrieve from a streaming server or broadcast server one or more media descriptors for one or more media objects currently or recently streamed or broadcast to the user of the mobile computing device, wherein the user action is not associated with a user media receiver of the mobile computing device; 
 compute a relevance of the detected user action and the retrieved media descriptors using one or more correlation processes; 
 responsive to the relevance meeting a first threshold, determine a degree of confidence that the user is attentive to at least one of the one or more media objects without requiring monitoring of the user media receiver; and 
 record the at least one user action, the one or more media object descriptors, and the degree of confidence that the user is attentive to at least one of the one or more media objects into one or more digital results selected from the group consisting of a computer-readable report, a human-readable report, a database entry, a parameter for an application programming interface, and a transmitted message to a client process, and a transmitted message to a client device. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The computer program product of  claim 7  wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for causing a processor to:
 repeat the steps of retrieving and computing for a plurality of users; and 
 wherein the determining of the degree of confidence comprises determining a degree of confidence that the plurality of users are attentive to at least one or more media objects. 
 
     
     
       9. The computer program product of  claim 7  wherein the determining of the degree of confidence further comprises:
 determining a physical proximity of the media playback device and the mobile computing device; 
 responsive to the physical proximity being less than a second threshold, increasing the degree of confidence; and 
 responsive to the physical proximity being more than the second threshold, decreasing the degree of confidence. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the determining of physical proximity comprises employing, by a computer, in a proximity calculation by a computer one or more location indicators selected from the group consisting of a Global Positioning System output, a computer network address, and a low-energy wireless beacon status indicator. 
     
     
       11. The computer program product of  claim 7  wherein the detected user action which is not associated with the user media receiver comprises one or more user actions which are not associated with the user media receiver selected from the group consisting of launching a local application program other than the media receiver on the mobile computing device, submitting search criteria to search engine website, submitting search criteria to search engine via a search engine application program, creating a new event in a locally-stored electronic calendar, accepting a new event in a locally-stored electronic calendar, creating a new event in a remotely-stored electronic calendar, accepting a new event in a remotely-stored electronic calendar, authoring an electronic message, reading an electronic message, forwarding an electronic message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, replying to an electronic message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, initiating a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, receiving a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, joining a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, forwarding a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, responding to a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, creating a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, responding to a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, reposting a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, setting a reaction indication to a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, deleting a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, casting an electronic vote in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver, visiting a website unrelated to the user media receiver, visiting Uniform Resource Locator (URL) unrelated to the user media receiver, selecting a hyperlink unrelated to the user media receiver, and initiating a telephone call unrelated to the user media receiver. 
     
     
       12. The computer program product of  claim 7  wherein the media object comprises at least one media object selected from the group consisting of a streaming video object, a streaming audio object, an online presentation, a broadcast television program, an electronic advertisement, and a broadcast audio program. 
     
     
       13. A system comprising:
 a computer processor for executing program instructions; 
 a tangible, computer-readable memory device which is not a propagating signal per se, accessible by the processor; 
 program instructions embodied by the memory device to cause the processor to, when executed, perform steps comprising:
 without relying upon a current location of a mobile computing device, responsive to detecting a user action on the mobile computing device, retrieve from a streaming server or broadcast server one or more media descriptors for one or more media objects currently or recently streamed or broadcast to the user of the mobile computing device, wherein the user action is not associated with a user media receiver of the mobile computing device; 
 compute a relevance of the detected user action and the retrieved media descriptors using one or more correlation processes; 
 responsive to the relevance meeting a first threshold, determine a degree of confidence that the user is attentive to at least one of the one or more media objects without requiring monitoring of the user media receiver; and 
 record the at least one user action, the one or more media object descriptors, and the degree of confidence that the user is attentive to at least one of the one or more media objects into one or more digital results selected from the group consisting of a computer-readable report, a human-readable report, a database entry, a parameter for an application programming interface, and a transmitted message to a client process, and a transmitted message to a client device. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13  wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for causing the processor to:
 repeat the steps of retrieving and computing for a plurality of users; and 
 wherein the determining of the degree of confidence comprises determining a degree of confidence that the plurality of users are attentive to at least one or more media objects. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 13  wherein the determining of the degree of confidence further comprises:
 determining a physical proximity of the media playback device and the mobile computing device; 
 responsive to the physical proximity being less than a second threshold, increasing the degree of confidence; and 
 responsive to the physical proximity being more than the second threshold, decreasing the degree of confidence. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  wherein the determining of physical proximity comprises employing, by a computer, in a proximity calculation by a computer one or more location indicators selected from the group consisting of a Global Positioning System output, a computer network address, and a low-energy wireless beacon status indicator. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 13  wherein the monitored user action comprises one or more detected user action which is not associated with the user media receiver comprises one or more user actions which are not associated with the user media receiver selected from the group consisting of launching a local application program other than the media receiver on the mobile computing device, submitting search criteria to search engine website, submitting search criteria to search engine via a search engine application program, creating a new event in a locally-stored electronic calendar, accepting a new event in a locally-stored electronic calendar, creating a new event in a remotely-stored electronic calendar, accepting a new event in a remotely-stored electronic calendar, authoring an electronic message, reading an electronic message, forwarding an electronic message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, replying to an electronic message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, initiating a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, receiving a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, joining a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, forwarding a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, responding to a streaming message in a messaging application unrelated to the user media receiver, creating a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, responding to a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, reposting a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, setting a reaction indication to a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, deleting a social media post in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver on a social media account, casting an electronic vote in a social media application unrelated to the user media receiver, visiting a website unrelated to the user media receiver, visiting Uniform Resource Locator (URL) unrelated to the user media receiver, selecting a hyperlink unrelated to the user media receiver, and initiating a telephone call unrelated to the user media receiver. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 13  wherein the media object comprises at least one media object selected from the group consisting of a streaming video object, a streaming audio object, an online presentation, a broadcast television program, an electronic advertisement, and a broadcast audio program.